I have always been a fan of natural beauty products. When I was a student in England, I worked in Lush, an organic cosmetics and skin care shop that specialised in natural, organic, fair trade, vegan and vegetarian beauty products, and from that moment, I was hooked. Much like me, my skin has changed a lot over the years, but I swear by sunscreen, rose water and coconut oil for pretty much everything. I try to use sulphate and silicone free shampoo and conditioners and always look for products without parabens.
As far as I am concerned, most of these fancy face creams that you buy at expensive beauty shops are a con. Most of them have a shelf life of a decade, are packed full of chemicals and preservatives, and contain only the smallest percentage of anything natural, at best. You pay for the label, you pay for the pretty packaging and you pay for plastics that coat your face to give the illusion of it being soft and smooth. Whilst these creams work superficially, just think of all the rubbish that you are putting into your body- remember everything that touches your skin is absorbed. Why not use natural products that benefit you inside and out, as well as being environmentally friendly and having successful track records that stretch back millennia, not just a decade or two?
Upon coming to Albania, I soon discovered that many Albanians look to the natural world for cures, tinctures, and remedies, as well as beauty products. Albania is a huge producer of essential oils and wonderful raw ingredients that are perfect for use in skin and hair care products and I was impressed with the choice that is available here.
I have come across three young Albanian women that have all set up their own skin and hair care businesses- each one carries out all of the research and work herself, sources fresh and organic ingredients, tailor makes products to the exact needs of each customer, and works hard not just to offer great products, but to educate people about the benefits of natural, over chemical filled.
Helen’s Bio Line
I wrote about Helen’s Bio Line back in the early day’s of The Balkanista. Helen hails from Korca but moved to Tirana to study an MSC in Medical Laboratory Technician Studies at the University of Medicine in Tirana. She became interested in natural ingredients and the effects that they had on the skin- from there she began developing simple recipes and building on her knowledge. One of her favourite ingredients to use is Aloe Vera gel due to its multi-purpose nature, as well as Vitamin E and essential oils instead of harmful preservatives. She creates custom-made products for clients from all over Europe and from the age of 16 to 65. I recommend her age-defying serum and the strawberry exfoliating face mask- although I warn you, it doesn’t taste as nice as it smells.
You can follow Helen on Instagram here.
Megi’s Green Code
Next up and with a very different approach is Megi’s Green Code. Megina Lack is a chemistry graduate who has also studied biochemistry internationally as well as graduating in Aesthetics from La Sapienza University. She has been running her biocosmetic line for just over two years and the products are divided into three subsections- men, women, and pets. Products incude formulas for skin and hair as well as soaps and organic candles- her (not so) secret ingredient is snail mucus from helix aspersa muller snails whos slime has a very high content of nutrients. The snails are harvested from a local Albanian farm and she exracts the ingredients naturally to include them in her products.
Check out Megi’s Instagram here.
Soap Arcadia
Anxela Panxi is a mother of two, a lawyer, and creator of Soaparcadia Homemagic Crafts. She bills her work as ‘herbal alchemy’ and takes a more spiritual approach to beauty and how we take care of our bodies. Having been passionate about herbs and the environment since the early age, she moved into environmental activism before realising she could link this to beauty. She studied Holistic Health & Beauty in Brussels and she prides hersolf on her unique beauty creations that are created especially for each individual and applying Chinese medicine and ayurvedic principles. She sells her products in Albania, Holland, and Belgium and these are the places that she sources most of her ingredients from. From beautiful skincare products, to things that will make you feel amazing from the inside out, Anxela has something for everyone.
Follow Anxela on Instagram here.
These three women are working hard to not only create incredible product that actually work, but to change the way we approach organic, ethical, and environmentally beauty. Using natural ingredients combined with science, ancient techniques and recipes, and a whole lot of love and passion, these women are super-inspiring. Why not check out their ranges? Support local businesses, support local products, support the environemnt, support great skin and beauty care, and support some amazing female entrepreneurs!
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